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WWE The Road of Superstardom

WWE The Road of Superstardom
Hello fellow bookers it's RNT back in the BTB realm and looking for another shot at this whole thing. With this BTB I am going to go back to the writing style I'm most comfortable with and that is monthly detailed PPV Recaps as I did in a previous BTB and got rave reviews. I will begin with a fresh start with Payback 2017. I will post my own Superstar Shakeup results, Debuts after WrestleMania 33, updated rosters, champions and PPV Schedules below. Hop in and enjoy this epic ride to SUPERSTARDOM!!!

Re: WWE The Road of Superstardom

Writers Note: This is my first monthly PPV recap! Tried to go as extensive as possible. Let me know what you guys think and a prediction contest for Payback will be posted sometime this afternoon.

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A BUMPY ROAD TO(April 3rd-April 24th 2017 Recap)

It’s April 3rd, 2017 and the WWE is just 24 hours removed from the Ultimate Thrill Ride, Wrestlemania. Live from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, Raw opened up to a sell out crowd for the much anticipated Raw after Wrestlemania. This Raw was a special one indeed due to the fact that Vince McMahon would open the show and announced a “Superstar Shakeup” that would take shape immediately. He would then go onto name a NEW General Manager that would run day to day operations of the RAW brand. Vince McMahon revealed that man being the newly crowned hall of famer, KURT ANGLE. Kurt Angle, who received a standing eruption of “YOU SUCK” chants started his first night as GM of RAW by making a tournament to find out a NEW #1 Contender for the Universal Championship and the winner will go onto Payback to face the Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar. Angle goes onto reveal that he had a quick turnaround (just 24 hours) but was able to pick some huge names from Smackdown Live to bring to Raw to help shake things up. Angle reveals those names…..

KalistoNatalyaAmerican AlphaBaron CorbinAlexa BlissBray Wyatt

Angle then says that his final acquisition will compete immediately as part of the first match in the Universal Championship tournament…..AJ STYLES!!! Styles, who got a massive ovation faced off against The Big Show in the first round in the tournament and scored an impressive pinfall victory. 3 other quarterfinal matches took place on April 3rd throughout the night and those included Bray Wyatt vs. Baron Corbin, Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens, and Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns. Bray Wyatt defeated new Raw Superstar, Baron Corbin via sister abigail, A returning Finn Balor pinned Kevin Owens after Y2J hit Kevin Owens with the Codebreaker while the ref was down after an accidental kick to the face by Owens. After the match Kurt Angle had Jericho ejected from the building by security but that didn’t stop Jericho from uttering that he is using his rematch clause for the US Championship at Payback. In the final match of the quarterfinals of the Universal Championship tournament, Roman Reigns defeated Braun Strowman via countout after Reigns speared Strowman onto an announce table. Reigns faced the backlash from fans after defeating the Undertaker at Wrestlemania the night prior. The bracket reveals that next week the semi finals will be Finn Balor vs. AJ Styles, and Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt.

The next week on the April 10th Raw, the semifinals took place pitting Bray Wyatt vs. Roman Reigns and Finn Balor vs. AJ Styles. Finn Balor vs. AJ Styles in the first of 2 semifinals matches ended up not taking place due to a takeover of sorts as Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Roode jumped the barricade before the match could even take place and attacked both AJ Styles and Finn Balor. Roode hit his DDT finisher on Styles while Cole hits his superkick onto Balor. Later in the night during an interview with Renee Young, Roode said they are here on Raw to make an impact and that they are called the Reckoning. The commentators announce before the main event that the winner of this match will go straight to Payback to face Brock Lesnar due to Balor and Styles not taking place tonight. Bray Wyatt vs. Roman Reigns main evented the April 10th episode with a great semifinal matchup as both men are vying for a chance to fight Brock Lesnar at Payback. Bray Wyatt, to much of the surprise from the fans and the commentators pinned Roman Reigns to move onto the finals. However, Bray didn’t pin Reigns clean as Braun Strowman distracted Reigns by walking towards the ring as Wyatt delivered the Sister Abigail to a distracted Reigns. Post match Braun Strowman beatdown Reigns. Strowman power slammed Reigns through the barricade to end the chaos as the crowd roars with Braun.

Next week on April 17th’s Raw, Roman Reigns was nowhere to be found after the brutal assault by Braun the previous week. Braun however squashed 3 jobbers in a handicap match which prompted him to demand Kurt Angle for better competition especially after he destroyed the man who “Retired” the Undertaker. Angle said that Strowman will face Roman Reigns at the Payback PPV. Strowman had an evil smile at the announcement but it was Roman who would get the last laugh entering the Payback event the following week. On April 24th, Strowman handily defeated Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas. Post match Strowman grabbed a mic and demanded Angle to come out here because he needed to say something. However, it wasn’t the GM who showed up, instead it was the Big Dog, Roman Reigns. Strowman exited the ring heading towards Reigns who was on the stage and Reigns charged Strowman down the ramp and nailed a huge spear knocking the big man down and garnering a mixed reaction.

In regards to the build to the Universal Championship match between Bray Wyatt and Brock Lesnar. On the April 17th Raw Bray Wyatt would cut a promo backstage that Brock Lesnar hides and that Lesnar has never faced anyone like him and that at Payback he will bring gold to his sister that he adores so much. On the April 24th edition of Raw Wyatt and Lesnar met face to face leading to Heyman promoting the Payback championship match calling Wyatt “Lesnar’s warm up” for his long championship reign that Lesnar plans on having. Later the lights went out and then came back on with Lesnar in Bray Wyatt’s grasp and Wyatt nails Lesnar with the sister abigail. The last scene of Raw before the PPV was Wyatt kneeling while holding the Universal Championship in one hand and Lesnar’s head in the other.

After not being able to even start there semifinal match in the Universal Championship tournament, AJ Styles and Finn Balor were out to seek revenge against Adam Cole, Bobby Roode, Bobby Fish, and Kyle O’Reilly referred to as “The Reckoning”. On April 17th Kurt Angle booked a huge tag team match pitting AJ Styles and Finn Balor taking on the team of Adam Cole and Bobby Roode. Before the match could even get started Styles announced that he didn’t think it was fair that it was pretty much 4 on 2. Styles said he and Balor know a certain group of good brothers that wouldn’t mind fighting by their sides. Yes that’s right, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows come out to even the odds. A huge brawl breaks out between the 8 guys as security is rushed out to the ring. Angle meanwhile announces that at Payback it will be a 4 on 4 tag team elimination match between Styles, Balor, Gallows and Anderson taking on the Reckoning (Cole, Roode, Fish, and O’Reilly) On the go home show to Payback, Fish and O’Reilly took on Gallows and Anderson in a tag team match with Balor, Styles, Roode and Cole all banned from ringside. In their debut match on the main roster, Bobby Fish and O’Reilly got the victory after O’Reilly grabbed a handful of Anderson’s tights unbeknownst to the referee. Video packages would air throughout the night highlighting the Club’s past encounters in Japan. Styles and Balor each had singles matches against Jinder Mahal and Goldust respectively each picking up victories with Cole and Roode ringside. However no brawls would ensue just staredowns between these men as Payback looms.

In what could be one of the most intense rivalries heading into the Payback PPV would be between Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens. As noted earlier, Jericho cost Owens his quarterfinal match in the Universal Championship tournament against Finn Balor. Owens the following week on April 10th demanded that wwe security be present outside of the arena to make sure Chris Jericho doesn’t appear. Owens battled Kane and defeated the big red machine with a pop up powerbomb. Post match Owens grabbed a mic and taunted Y2J saying that he is a stupid idiot for ever thinking that he and Jericho were best friends and that when he felt necessary he got rid of the dead weight. Jericho showed up on the tron and says that he is lucky that security won’t let him enter the building and kick his ass but at Payback he will and he will win back the United States Championship. Jericho said he called Angle a few days ago and he agreed that at Payback that match will be a No Holds Barred Match!! April 17th both men had sit down interviews hyping the No Holds Barred United States Championship match. On the go home show to Payback (24th) Owens teamed with Enzo & Big Cass to take on American Alpha and Chris Jericho. Jericho and Owens brawled up the ramp and through the crowd as Alpha picked up a win against Enzo.

The Hardy Boyz surprising return at Wrestlemania shocked the entire WWE Universe. What may be more shocking was them winning the Raw Tag Team Championships in the fatal four way ladder match. On April 3rd, Gallows and Anderson got their tag team championship rematch and were unsuccessful. Meanwhile The Revival made their debut on Raw and immediately took out the New Day after they offered an open challenge. Xavier Woods ended up injuring his ankle and will be out for an extended period of time. The following week Kingston and Big E faced Dash and Dawson with the winners facing the Hardy Boyz at Payback. Dash and Dawson cheated to pick up the victory and was about to take out Kofi’s ankle but Jeff and Matt ran to chase Dash and Dawson off. Over the next few weeks leading up to Payback Dash and Dawson would have one on one matches with the Hardys with Jeff pinning Dash and Dawson pinning Matt. Will the upstarting tag team be able to dethrone maybe one of the greatest tag team of all time at Payback?

With her best friend Sasha Banks going to the blue brand after the Superstar Shakeup, Bayley is left to go it alone. Charlotte confronted Bayley on the Raw after Wrestlemania as she congratulates Bayley on her mania win but she challenges Bayley to a championship match tonight as she never got her one on one rematch. Bayley accepted saying she is a fighting champion. Bayley and Charlotte tore the house down and ended up having a stellar match. Bayley hit a bayley to belly off the top rope and pinned Charlotte for the three count but Charlotte had her foot on the ropes but the ref counted anyways. Bayley celebrated until Alexa Bliss and Natalya jumped both Bayley and Charlotte immediately. Bliss and Natalya looked as if they formed an alliance but Bliss grabbed Nattie and hit a DDT. Bliss signaled that she is taking the Women’s Championship. On April 10th Raw, Alexa Bliss teamed with Natalya to take on Bayley and Charlotte. Charlotte left Bayley hanging mid match and Bliss made a blind tag to Natalya and Bliss got the win pinning the Women’s Champion, Bayley. Post match, Natalya attacked Bliss and landed the famous sharpshooter as Bliss is tapping. Nattie held up the Raw Women’s Championship. The following week, Bayley and Charlotte sat on commentary as Alexa Bliss faced Natalya one on one. It was announced earlier that this match would find out who would join Bayley and Charlotte in a Women’s title match at Payback. The match ended when Alexa Bliss escaped the sharpshooter and poked her in the eye and rolled her up for the win. Bliss quickly fled but was met by Bayley and Charlotte as all three ended up brawling. Nattie would later join in. The next week Angle named Natalya as the special guest referee for the triple threat match for Sunday. He made the stip that if Nattie calls it down the middle fair and square, she will earn the next title match.

On 205 Live Austin Aries earned himself another opportunity at the Cruiserweight Championship after defeating Mustafa Ali, Jack Gallagher and Cedric Alexander in a Fatal Four Way # 1 Contender Match. Over the next few weeks, Neville and Aries would win matches against other Cruiserweight competitors. On the go home show, Neville would lay out Aries with the championship title. Neville has the momentum heading to Payback. Can Aries rise up and take the championship in his second chance.

On the kickoff show, Enzo Amore and Big Cass will take on the new team on Raw American Alpha. On the Raw after Wrestlemania, Enzo and Cass begged for competition and complained about the Hardy Boyz coming back for nostalgia sake. American Alpha made a surprising debut on Raw but Cass and Enzo fled. The next few weeks Jordan and Gable would impress in tag team action as Enzo and Cass would look on backstage, not wanting to get involved in the action. Angle forced Enzo and Cass into a six man tag on the go home show. Alpha teamed with Jericho taking on Owens and Enzo and Cass. Enzo would end up taking the loss after getting hit with the shatter machine. Cass was taken out by Jordan a few moments before. Angle forced Enzo and Cass to compete on the kickoff show against American Alpha at Payback.

Raw Women's ChampionshipNatalya is Special Guest Referee(If Nattie calls it down the middle fair and square she will be the #1 Contender for the Raw Women's Championship)Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Charlotte